Six Hours
by Keely
Summary: Chloe offers a proposition to Brady. R/R, please.
1. Default Chapter

"Brady," she breathed. She couldn't believe she was here, that she had actually followed through with the drunken decision she had made two nights before. He seemed shocked to see her there, his bright blue eyes were widened slightly, as if he was slightly flustered to find her there.   
"Belle's in New York with my dad and Marlena... didn't she tell you?" he asked, still blocking the door way with his large frame. Definitely flustered about something, thought Chloe as he ran his hand through newly cut blond hair. The short spikes suited him.  
"I came to see you," she replied as calmly as she could with her heart slamming in her chest fit to break her ribs. "Can I come in? It's pretty stuffy out here." He seemed reluctant to move. Is someone else here? Maybe a girl... She received her answer as Brady beckoned her inside, preceding her entrance with a painful-looking limp to the couch. -He's so proud. He hates it when anyone sees weakness in him.-   
"Come to see the cripple limp around? It's great entertainment. Perhaps I could dance for you. Now that's a sight to see, let me tell you," he snarled in his hostile way, full upper lip curling in disgust. His arms were crossed across his chest, emphasizing their size and the width of his shoulders.  
As cool as she could, Chloe took the seat next to him and steeled herself to look into his eyes. "Brady, it's me. You can drop the act." When his face softened, she continued. "I came to talk to you... to ask you something. And... it's not something easy to ask for."  
"Go on... my interest is piqued." He tried to make it sound biting and sarcastic, but Chloe knew it was a façade. She could tell by his eyes, they were open and inviting; summer blue instead of steel. She clenched her fists, trying to stop their sweating as she gazed at him. She almost forgot to keep talking as she took in his proud roman nose and strong jawline. -He's beautiful.-  
Swallowing hard, she summoned up all the courage she could find. "Philip will be back tomorrow, I'm going with your grandfather to pick him up," she said. Brady turned his head away from her with the reminder of his uncle. "Wait, let me finish..." she trailed off as his he turned to deliver a scorching glare.   
"Did you want me to get him a welcome-back gift? Maybe some flowers?"  
"I want you to listen to me, Brady! I don't want him to come back!" This admission startled Chloe as much as it did Brady, but it was the truth. "He wasn't supposed to be back until November! I'm not ready!"  
"Ready for what, Chloe? To tell him that you can't wait to be his girlfriend again? That you've been thinking about him every night since he left? That life is empty without him?" his tone was biting, unsurprisingly. And bitter. Chloe knew why... one simple kiss between he and Chloe had unsettled Brady more than he was willing to admit.  
"I'm not ready to be his girlfriend again! Everything will be different when he's back... I'm not the same as I was when he left."  
"Oh? And why would that be?" he asked, his brows knitting together in anger.  
"You -know- why! How about I'm not as...-fucking- naïve as I was back in June? How about I know now how to distinguish between puppy love and desire? Maybe that rings a bell in that thick skull of yours?" -One kiss... it was supposed to be innocent.-  
"So what the hell do you want from -me?-" he exploded finally. She had a feeling he would have jumped to his feet if he could do it without looking awkward. "Did you come here to pour out you feelings to me? Because I don't want to hear about you and Phil."  
"NO!" she cried. "Brady, listen! I made him a promise when he went away. I told him that when he got back we could... I'd be ready to..." she bowed her head, her cheeks flaming.  
"Have sex?" he sneered. "Fuck?"  
"Asshole," she said flatly. "Yes." Now his face was in a half grin, but his eyes were filled with pain. His arms were crossed again in an effort to maintain distance from her, despite being only a foot or so apart.  
"So, you're not ready. Tell him that, I'm sure he'll still follow you around with his tongue hanging out. He'll wait forever." Brady was really hurt, she saw. -His eyes...-  
"It's not that. It's not me. It's him. I don't want him... that way." She was nearly shaking now, with anger or desire or nerves or maybe all three. God, she wanted him.  
"And you decided to share this with me?" he asked incredulously. "Maybe you decided that since Belle wasn't home, another member of the Black family would serve as confidante and shrink? Marlena's pretty good at that, maybe you could call her!" The sneer was back, the self-righteous, conceited... façade.   
"That's not it at all, Brady," she said as forcefully as she could without raising her voice. "I know I'm going to have to give in to Philip eventually..."  
"So if you don't like him, break up with him!"  
"Don't you think I've -tried-? Jesus, Brady. Stop interrupting me!" The old anger was back, the fury that always came from bickering with Brady. And the desire that flushed her body as their voices rose was back as well. "I don't want Philip to be my... my first.  
"Oh but he can be your second and third and fourth and... Jesus, Chloe that's real nice of you. I'm sure he'll love that idea." His eyes were fiery now, with rage and desire.  
"Brady, you don't understand. If I break up with him... he'll kill himself. Or me. Or you. I tried breaking up with him... in March. The first thing he did was to drink himself into insensibility. Then he threatened to shoot himself. Your grandfather has quite an impressive array of guns, by the way..."  
Brady was livid now, his entire posture coiled as if ready to spring. "-Liar,-" he spat. "Phil's not that weak."  
"You know that I don't lie to you. -Ever-." Her reply was just as strong, and she managed to stare him down. "I'm sorry I wasted your time, Brady. I'll leave." She started to get up and head for the door, but Brady grabbed clumsily for her hand.  
"Chloe," he offered, still angry, but calmer. "I believe you. Now what did you want to ask me?"  
She sat back down and took a deep breath. "I don't want Philip to be my first because I don't love him. Not like that. I want..." she trailed off and swallowed before trying again. "I want -you-, Brady. Not Philip." she murmured.   
Brady sat back in shock. He'd been hoping that this was what she had been hinting at, but to be faced with the reality... And then cynicism took over. "You're joking," he said, flatly. "Did you come up with this plan with Philip to fuck me over? Huh, Chloe?"  
"I told you, I -don't- lie to you. You know why." She looked at him in desperation. The kiss had sealed sparked something, an unspoken agreement. There was something between them, something inexplicable, that bound them together.   
"Why did you kiss me, Chloe? Didn't you know what would happen?" he asked with the same desperation that she felt. "You're right, it -did- change everything... you should never have touched me." He shivered with remembered desire from that night. The two of them alone on the pier, a kiss that had been -intended- to be friendly, to cheer Brady up. It hadn't stayed that way for very long.  
"I kissed you because I thought it would make you feel better... you were awfully upset. And no, I didn't know what would happen. I didn't realize what was between us," said Chloe, gazing thoughtfully at him. -God, I can't take my eyes off of him.-  
"C'mon Chloe," he spat. "You're a smart girl. You saw what one kiss did to me. Don't you think that asking me this might hurt me even more? It's not -fair-," he concluded. His eyes were bright; Chloe mistook his impending tears as anger.  
"You'd be getting what you want, remember?" she retorted.   
"NO! Christ, Chloe, don't you see? It's NOT what I want. I don't want to be with you and then watch you go running back to Philip! It hurts too much as it is!" To emphasize his point, he flung a throw pillow at the wall. "Maybe for you, Chloe, it's just physical, but it's -not- for me! I don't -have- anyone else."  
  
To be continued, let me know what you think. It's my first story.  
Keely  



	2. Chapter 2

"C'mon Chloe," he spat. "You're a smart girl. You saw what one kiss did to me. Don't you think that asking me this might hurt me even more? It's not fair," he concluded. His eyes were bright; Chloe mistook his impending tears as anger.  
  
"You'd be getting what you want, remember?" she retorted.   
  
"NO! Christ, Chloe, don't you see? It's NOT what I want. I don't want to be with you and then watch you go running back to Philip! It hurts too much as it is!" To emphasize his point, he flung a throw pillow at the wall. "Maybe for you, Chloe, it's just physical, but it's not for me! I don't have anyone else."  
  
Chloe sat back, stunned. Utterly floored, in fact. "Oh, Brady", she murmured, reaching out for his hand. "I didn't mean... I thought... I didn't know you felt that way about me. I'm so sorry. I thought you just... wanted me. I didn't know..." she trailed off.  
  
"What?" he snarled, his tears finally spilling over. "That I love you? Yes I do. I wasn't aware that this was just a good lay for you. I thought you liked me. God, Chloe, I trusted you."   
  
Chloe burst into tears too, at the sight of Brady, his bright head bent. "Brady, I didn't mean that. Of course I like you. I adore you. I just didn't know that you felt like that too... I thought it was just... it was just..." Oh god, I'm way over my head. What have I done?  
  
She could think of nothing more to do but hold him. She lay her head on his shoulder and sobbed with him, stroking his pale hair. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."  
  
Brady adjusted himself against her so that he could hold her as she was holding him. He was getting tears in her beautiful hair. He tried to smooth them away and was startled when she raised her head to look at him. Her glasses were askew, and he removed them, careful not to pull her hair. He managed a tremulous half-smile. "You look terrible," he offered.  
  
"You're not a pretty crier either, you know," she replied, wiping away a tear from his cheek with a smile of her own. Then her face clouded over again. "What are we going to do?" she asked. "I need you."  
  
Brady looked like he was going to be sick. "I don't know. If what you said   
about Philip is true..."  
  
"It is," she asserted, drawing Brady close again. "And I haven't told you the half of it. D'you know, whenever I spend time with anyone else, he gets angry? Even when I'm with Belle, he's mad enough to start fights, to punch the wall or door. And then he'll call me an hour later, crying and apologizing. Brady... I'm afraid of him."  
  
"You know I'd protect you," he murmured. "It can work."  
  
"No it can't, and you know why. Not yet, anyways. I'm not even seventeen yet. You'll be twenty next week. Craig and Nancy barely let me out of the house to see Philip, I don't think they'd approve of us." Even as she said this, she was pressing closer to Brady, trying to deny the truth. "Belle would hate me, Shawn would hate me, I'd have no one."  
  
"You'd have me," he whispered, trying to catch her eyes. She allowed him to guide her head until she was looking straight at him. A nearly electric jolt passed over her as she gazed at him, making her shiver. She shook her head, in denial to his statement, but was unable to break the spell. Don't kiss him, it'll make everything even worse. What was I thinking, coming here?  
  
And then she was kissing him. Nothing could have prepared her for the feeling of his lips on hers, his tongue gently caressing hers. This was nothing like Philip's amateurish, sloppy kisses. This was... Oh god...  
  
His kisses became more demanding, more possessive. Chloe responded just as   
ardently, threading her fingers through his hair and pressing his mouth to hers even harder. She pressed her body against his, and Brady responded by tightening his arms around her. He was so big... so strong. Nothing like Philip.  
  
Brady broke away for a second, only to press his lips to the side of her neck. Chloe nearly moaned as his tongue found a sensitive spot, causing her to tremble. She tightened her fingers in his hair as pleasure washed over her, centering on her lower belly. The feelings that always began when she kissed Philip... and stopped when he began to return her affections. But with Brady...  
  
She moved her leg so that her foot no longer rested on the floor, and wrapped her leg around Brady's hips so that she was in his lap, rather than on the adjacent couch cushion. Her movement caused Brady to break away and gaze at her.  
  
Her heart dropped. He's going to refuse me, he'll realize that I'm...  
  
"I didn't know you were so passionate," he rasped. "I've never seen you like this with Philip." His cheeks were flushed and he was breathing heavily.  
  
"You're not Philip," she said. And that was the core of it all.  
  
Sorry this is so short... but I wanted to separate the upcoming naughtiness from everything else in case anyone's not into that kind of thing. If you are... good for you! ;)  
Keely  
  



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